Cake Batter Frozen Yogurt in 5 Minutes (No Machine)
Save RecipeHi Bold Bakers!
Cake Batter Frozen Yogurt has to be some of the sweetest words you can hear. This frozen yogurt is a cross between a tangy yogurt and a birthday cake. It is rich, zippy and full of sprinkles!
Homemade Frozen Yogurt is so easy to make, and don’t worry, there is no ice cream machine needed. I don’t want to buy a piece kitchen equipment that only serves one purpose, hence this recipe was born.
My Cake Batter No Machine Frozen Yogurt takes only 5 minutes to make and has just a few simple ingredients.
Add all of the ingredients into a food processor, blend until smooth and freeze! It could not be simpler. And you don’t end up with icy, hard frozen yogurt. My recipes are triple tested so I made sure the result are smooth, scoopable and delicious.
If you like this frozen yogurt recipe, I also have great recipes for Chocolate & Banana, Strawberry, Mango & Lime, and Pineapple & Coconut.
Homemade Frozen Yogurt can be made on any yogurt you prefer. I use greek as it is higher in protein but feel free to use regular. I do recommend plain yogurt with no added flavor.
The honey in this recipe is not just for sweetness; it’s what makes your ice cream scoopable. Sugar in a liquid form is what stops ice crystals forming and keeps it soft.
For Dairy-Free or Vegan Frozen Yogurt recipes, swap out the honey for agave and use a dairy-free yogurt like coconut yogurt.
No longer will you have to go out for frozen yogurt, this recipe is the real deal!
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- 1 cup (8oz/225g) plain yogurt (greek, non-fat or full fat)
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 Tablespoons sprinkles
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Add the cream cheese, honey (or agave nectar), yogurt and vanilla into a food processor (or liquidizer).
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Process until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl to make sure there are no lumps left.
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Stir in the sprinkles with a spatula
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Transfer it to an airtight freezable container and freeze for a minimum 6 hours but preferably overnight. Store it in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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Question! I made my first batch of froyo last night (super simple banana strawberry) and now I’m kind of obsessed. I had a couple questions about substitutions for more experimental recipes.
For the cake batter, would it still work if I subbed goat cheese for the cream cheese?
Does adding banana to the mixture improve the creamy texture? Or is that purely a flavor addition. On that same topic, if a recipe calls for a half cup of milk, would I be able to sub that for bananas to achieve the right texture? I was thinking about doing an avocado flavor but wanted to avoid the milk I’m seeing in other recipes.
The froyo I made last night had some sections that were super thick and creamy and others that were sorta icy. Wondering what might have caused this — if I over-blend the ingredients will it effect the consistency of the yogurt?
And then my last question (for now, lol) is that if I wanted to add a crushed dry ingredient to the mixture, i.e. cereal, Oreos, graham crackers, would those pieces become stale/soggy or would they hold up in the froyo? Or if there’s anything I needed to do to prep them for the dessert.
Thank you!!
Haha! Chelsea, sounds like I need to come to your house!
There are a few important things to understand for all frozen treats.
1. the more water in an ingredient, the more ice in the result. Greek yogurt is a strained yogurt, this means that a large percentage of the whey is strained off, leaving a thick curd behind, which is low in water. Milk is great in a churned ice cream, but not in a froyo!
2. goats cheese has a really strong flavor, and if you wish to serve it as a savory starter, perhaps this will be a good choice, but not for me!
3. Banana is a great fruit to freeze, it has no water really, is glutenous and works very well even on its own when frozen and whipped, it is an egg substitute too, thickens without creating ice crystals.
4. Crushed Oreo hold up really well in a frozen dessert. You can also add them as a topping, blitz and store for all sorts of desserts. Some cereals, like Fruity Pebbles/loops hold up well, others not so much. (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/how-to-make-cream-cheese/). you will know by how quickly they soften in milk.
5. Avocado has very little flavor per se, but it takes other flavors really well, try it with cocoa!
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
hi gemma i’m gonna use Greenfield plain yogurt but i don’t know it’s greek, non or full fat yogurt? how do i know what type of yogurt i use? i’m afraid my froyo will be to icy, please help me, thanks
Hi,
You can can use any type of yogurt, honestly. It doesn’t matter. So it can get icy because it isn’t churned. Just so you know.
Gemma.
So, to get this straight, if I use regular greek yogurt, would I need to strain it also? Oiko’s greek or Dannon greek or Fage greek??? Any of those??
Hi Robin,
NO! Natural Greek yogurt as you describe it is already strained. Only if you use a local organic natural yogurt, which is not already strained, will you need to strain it.
I hope this is of help to you,
Gemma 🙂
Yes, Gemma! This is of fabulous help to me. I was going to do this recipe the other day but I couldn’t find anything that said “unstrained” greek yogurt. I’m slow sometimes. Thanks so much. You’re AWESOME. I saw you on the Food Network Baking Championship. Great!! Thanks again!!!
That is great to hear Robin, thank you for letting me know,
Gemma 🙂
You’re welcome!! 🙂
I was wondering if I could use corn syrup instead of the honey/agave. My son is allergic to both so I was thinking that corn syrup should work since it is a liquid sugar. Also can you use homemade yogurt for this if you strain it?
Hi Jessica,
Greek yogurt is exactly as you describe, a strained yogurt. Place it in a sieve lined with a fine sterile cloth, over a bowl in the fridge overnight. Delicious! Use the whey in a marinade!
I think you can try the corn syrup. You could also make a simple syrup with sugar and water. That is equal parts sugar and water, dissolve the sugar over a gently heat, increase the heat and boil until the syrup feels sticky to the touch, be careful it will be very hot. Use two spoons to test it, it will become thick, like corn syrup. This is a handy thing to have in the fridge and will work with brown sugar too,
Gemma 😉
Hi Gemma,
My frozen yogurt just became solid after I left it overnight. I am not sure what went wrong. Any tips on improving it?
Thanks
Hi Harry,
What type of yogurt did you use?
Greek/strained yogurt works best in this recipe. It is low in ‘water’ content, so freezes soft, the full fat one is best.
Do let me know,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma, I used Chobani plain greek yogurt. Any other ideas?
Thanks
Hi Harry,
Yes, it is worth a try. The full fat versions are usually best too. FYI, Greek yogurt is a strained natural yogurt. The whey/water is strained off, in a muslin cloth, in a sieve, over a bowl in the fridge, overnight. If you make your own yogurt this is how you get a thick, Greek style, yogurt. It is the water content which freezes hard in the sorbet.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
How long will the cake batter yogurt last? Will it be good for up to 3 days? I was able to make it, but I wasn’t sure how long it would last. Also, have you ever tried mixing bits of a sugar cookie with it? I thought about making your sugar cookie in a mug, crunching it, and then mixing it in with the cake batter yogurt.
Hi heather,
In the freezer? this is a frozen thing, will hold well for weeks really.
Adding a cookie to a wet ingredient will soften it, I am not sure that that will work so well.
A hard cookie, like oreo wil hold up for you,
Gemma 😉
Hi. I am planning to try out this recipe very soon. I was wondering if I could use vanilla greek yogurt instead of plain greek yogurt? If so, do I still need vanilla extract? If yes, how much should be used? Also, I plan to mix this by hand. Would it make it easier to mix if I let the cream cheese soften a bit before mixing it with the yogurt?
Hi Heather,
Yes, but what matters is that it is Greek yogurt/strained yogurt, and not Greek style yogurt, which has been thickened or set. Take a look at the cartons in your store. Strained yogurt should not have any carrigeenan or other setting/thickening agent.
You can always experiment of course, see what works for you,
Gemma 🙂
Two questions. If I wanted to adapt this recipe into a cookie dough froyo would it even be possible? And will this work in a high power blender? Sorry for my dumb questions. BTW the froyo looks delicious will definitely try it.
Hi Shay,
no such thing as a dumb question here on BBB.
I think that would be great! (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/edible-cookie-dough/) here is my cookie dough recipe.
Yes, I think it will work perfectly in your high speed blender. Frozen fruit can be hard, and the blender needs to have some power to work well.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Thanks for replying back. I’m new to your channel and can’t believe I was missing out on your recipes all my life. They are the best ever!!! Thanks, Gemma!
Thank you Shay, it is great that you are here with us,
Gemma 🙂
Thank you very much, Gemma.
Really delicious!
Great, thank you for being with us,
Gemma 🙂
Hi gemma,
So I tried the banana and chocolate flavor only without the chocolate and the banana froyo was excellent. I put it in a regular plastic cup covered it and so far its been 4hours and no icy components.
I was wondering if I could use the vanilla essence in the other flavors instead of the lemon juice or if there are any alternatives to the lemon juice.
Hi there,
That is great, well done you!
You can use what you like in this as a flavor. The lemon juice is really there to ‘brighten’ the flavor, it is not really necessary,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
are those cups paper cups?, and can another cup be used to freeze the froyo?
Hi there,
You can use what you have to hand, just so long as you can cover it down. This is important if you are keeping anything in the freezer for a long time.
I re-use ice cream containers, the plastic type, adding a layer of baking paper on top, or cling wrap. You can use yogurt containers too, and even make these into pops by inserting a stick. Experiment!
Thank oyu for being with us,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
I have made the Strawberry and the Mango Lime frozen yogurt recipes, and I have found that by freezing these recipes, they have formed ice crystals, and it is not very easy to scoop. I have followed the whole recipe exactly, except when it comes to the honey. I substituted the honey with my Organic Wholesome Blue Agave, as I am allergic to honey. So, like you said, I used agave, and it was the only ingredient I had that was closest to honey. I put the yogurt into my fridge for 2 hours, but it still formed ice crystals. I would love a suggestion on how fix this, because I follow all of your recipes, and have been for many years. Thank you.
Hi Avea,
I think you used yogurt which had not been strained. Greek yogurt is low in water/whey. Water freezes like ice, so if you use a regular yogurt it will become icy. freezing the fruits will help too, as the ice crystals are suspended when you process this. Do you think this is what happened?
Gemma 🙂
hi,
can u specify the cream cheese that u are using?
I have seen that there are plenty of them light from 5% of fat to 30% and 40% fat.
the texture of the cheese may be hard (like Mascarpone) and soft like regular cheese.
Does Sour cream can be good too?
so, what is the best cream cheese should i use to get ice-cream texture in freeze?
thx!
Hi Eli,
So sour cream would not work unfortunately. I actually don’t know the fat content of my cream cheese but I just don’t recommend you use light. Any other is fine. For this recipe it doesn’t matter too much which cream cheese you use 🙂
hi,
I tried to made a vanilla frozen yogurt which I can add to it whatever i want, but unfortuntly it fully frozen in the freezer. can u guess why?
I made this receipe, 400 g yogurt
225 g cream cheese (16% fat)
3 tablespoon of honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
when i bled the cheese it lost the texture from a cheese u can put on bread or eat with spoon to a liquid.
thx!
Hi Eli,
I use Greek yogurt, which is low in water content, and high in fat content, this freezes softer than regular yogurt.
Greek yogurt is a strained yogurt, where the whey has been drained away. This removes a lot of the water content, and concentrates the fat and protein. You can do this at home too, or buy it as ‘strained’ yogurt, but not ‘Greek Style’ yogurt, which may have been thickened.
I am not sure what the cheese reference is, I do not know how this could happen, sorry.
Thank you for being with us,
Gemma 🙂
Hi, which attachment of the food processor do I use to make this frozen yogi? The blade? Or ? Making sure I do this right please help
The blade is what you need 🙂
Hi!
Can I use light greek yogurt and light cream cheese?
Hi there,
Yes, but it must be a strained yogurt, not a Greek style one which is set, sometimes Carrigeen moss/agar agar can be used to make a yogurt thick. This is not what we use here. A natural yogurt, which has been strained to remove some of the whey is what you need. It will tell you on the label,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma, can I replace cream cheese with other stuff? Thanks
Hi Ana,
You can just use all yogurt but just note your frozen yogurt make freeze very hard without the cream cheese.
🙂
Hi, do you know if the recipe will still turn out well if non-fat cream cheese is used?
Hi Melissa,
I think it will be good, I cannot see any reason not to use this,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma, thanks for many of your treats. I am from Nepal. I tried making both cheese batter and the mango & lime frozen yogurt. I kept it a freezer for 24 hrs. The taste is great but ice crystal has formed. It’s not like solid ice but still is far from the consistencies like that of normal frozen yogurt. I have followed every instruction precisely except i did not have pure honey as they are very rare. I also did not use vaccum container. Is there any tip that could diagnose the problem. Thanks.
Hi there Abhi,
It is so lovely to have you with us in Nepal.
I think you did change one other thing! The yogurt must be a strained yogurt, that is what Greek yogurt is. it is natural yogurt, which has had been strained, to reduce the water content, forming a thick rich yogurt. Full fat is best too. Store bought Greek style yogurts may have been thickened by gums etc, so not this one!
Water freezes like ice, so fruits high in water content like citrus, can also freeze like ice. Store bough frozen yogurt has emulsifiers added so that it remains soft in the freezer. Homemade needs to stand at room temperature for a short time to allow it to soften out. Best to make this, freeze, and serve when it is still soft! These are my best guesses,
Gemma 🙂
can i use homemade creamcheese as u said…???
Hi there,
Yes, you can, this is cream cheese!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Can i use a hand mixture to make the frozen yourget. I want to make the birthday cake one, so no frozen fruits, is it possible ? I have tired ur oreo cheesecake, that was awsome :=)
Hi Aruni,
Yes, I cannot see why it would not work, but I would do it a little differently.
1. Beat the cream cheese with a little of the yogurt to loosen it out. Then add the remainder of the ingredients and continue to beat until combined.
this should work well for you. It must be Greek/Greek style yogurt, that is strained yogurt, nothing else will do for this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
This is not dairy free nor vegan if it has cream cheese in it.
Tara, the yogurt is not vegan either! I ma not sure why you thought is should be?
Gemma 🙂
You state: “For Dairy-Free or Vegan Frozen Yogurt recipes, swap out the honey for agave and use a dairy-free yogurt like coconut yogurt.” The cream cheese still has dairy which is also an amimal product.
Tara, I am confused, which recipe are you referring to? obviously if you are vegan you will not add any animal source foods to your recipe.
Some people who are vegan see honey as vegan, many do not. Without trawling through all of the recipes I cannot think what you mean, it would help me if you let me know,
Gemma 🙂
Hi, I’m curious can I use strawberry yogurt instead of Greek I’m really am wanting to make this
Isabella, the yogurt needs to be strained, like a Greek yogurt is. The ‘water’ content of an un-strained/regular yogurt will cause the frozen yogurt to be a little icy, but you can try it. you may als obe able to find Greek Style yogurt with fruit in your store,
Gemma 🙂
Hi there,
I couldn’t do this recipe because I have no cream cheese! Is there a way you could turn normal cheese into cream cheese? Thanks
Hi Christian,
yes you can (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/how-to-make-cream-cheese/) you can make your own!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! I love your recipes and I would like to try this one. But I don’t have a food processor. Can I use a hand mixer for this? And how do I use the cheesecloth to turn plain yogurt to greek? Thanks so much for your help!
Where the recipe does not call for frozen fruits etc it will be possible to do this with a hand mixer. do keep scraping down the bowl to make sure it is blended. To make Greek style yogurt use two layers of cheesecloth in a strainer over a bowl, pour in the yogurt, cover and refrigerate. the whey will separate out over about 8 hours (overnight). You can use the whey in baking too, it is high in protein!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma. Love your website! I just wanted to check….. Can i use the cream cheese from ur recipe (milk, lemon juice & salt)? Would this work for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi there, this recipe uses yogurt, Greek yogurt, or strained yogurt, not creamed cheese, I do not think this will work in this recipe 🙂
Hi, I recently did this recipe last night. I have tasted the cream cheese more than any other ingredient in the cake batter. Is thatwhy it’s called the cake batter recipe?
Hi Hanna,
the flavor ‘cake batter’ is an American invention, and really can be adjusted to your taste. It will taste according to the ingredients, if you do not like the cream cheese flavor, reduce it next time, or add another flavor note to it.
Gemma 🙂
I see in the original recipe that box cake mix is included. Did you ever try it with the cake mix? How does the flavor/texture change when you took out the cake mix? It seems weird to include the mix but curious what your thoughts were.
Hi Lisa,
I never use box mixes for anything, it is just too easy to make your own from scratch. I am not sure what you mean by this??
Gemma 🙂
Hi,
I don’t really know what you mean by vanilla – is it vanilla extract, vanilla sugar or vanilla seeds? – because I suppose if it is only the seeds two teaspoons is a lot.
Your new fan ?
Hi Ewa,
I do mean extract, though I like my vanilla, and you can use less if you like. One teaspoon will still give good flavor.
Gemma 🙂
Can you write this recipe in g and ml please?☺thank you!?
This truly does sound amazing, I need to check this out!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Ana,
do you mean this: 1 cup (8oz/225g) plain yogurt (greek, non-fat or full fat)
8 oz cream cheese
3 Tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 Tablespoons sprinkles
This is as it is written on the website recipe,
Gemma 🙂
I used Neufchâtel cheese instead of regular full-fat cream cheese. I also used plain Greek yogurt. Even with the full amount of honey added, I felt that the ice cream was a bit bitter or sour, and I believe this is due to the strong flavor of plain Greek yogurt. It was very cute and had a great texture, though. Adding a little bit of sugar free syrup on top of the ice cream greatly improved the flavor. I’ll have to experiment with other toppings or sweeteners to see how I can make the rest of the batch a little tastier.
Hi Diana,
It sounds like you are making these recipes your own. Yes. you are right, the flavor will change with the change of ingredients, you seem to be manaing to balance it out,
Gemma 🙂
Alongside an extra touch of vanilla I added a teaspoon of lemon extract, quarter teaspoon of almond extract and a tiny drop of butterscotch flavouring. Then swirled some natural sugarfree strawberry jam. It tasted just like a birthday party going on in your mouth! Must try gemma x
Hi Shazu,
It does sound like a birthday party, such a lot of flavor, well done you,
Gemma 🙂
I mean who needs to add cake mixes when you can achieve the same flavor without all the additives and hydrogenated fats.
Lemon Extract = gives the flavor of a Madeira cake
Almond Extract = the taste of fondant icing
Butterscotch or Caramel extract = adds butteriness and enhances the vanilla richness
Sugarfree Strawberry jam = the cake filling
Plus some sprinkled some edible glitter and topped with a maraschino cherry. This is the most amazing fro-yo you can ever have!
Hi Shazu,
Good job!
Gemma 🙂
Hello Gemma, I have tried this recipe, and it is really good! I loved it. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Janet,
Thank you for letting me know and for your kind comments,
Gemma 🙂
I made this and my family said that it is a little sour from Greek yogurt even though I put less yogurt, I used tub cream cheese and nothing else.
Hi there,
Are you saying you did not add a sweetener? Greek yogurt is indeed sour, and will remain sour when frozen if you do not sweeten it. I like it like this, but it is not to all tastes! In Greece they will serve it with fresh fruit and honey, and sometimes just with a mild liquid honey. Next time add some sweet note to it,
Gemma 🙂
I added chunks of chocolate cake to mild the flavor as is a little bit sour! Next time I will use vanilla yogurt instead of the greek yogurt and crumbs of shortbread cookies or chunks of vanilla cake to take the cake batter flavor to the next level! Love this flavor!
Hi Mery,
That does sound lovely, that is the idea, make these recipes your own,
Gemma 🙂
Do I have to use the block cream cheese, or can I use the ones that come in the Philadelphia cup?
Hi there,
The block cream cheese works best for cheese cake, it is firmer, and sets better than the tub version,
Gemma 🙂
So I can’t use the tub version?
I am not sure what you mean!
Gemma 🙂
This isn’t cheesecake
No!
Gemma
OMG I actually have never visited UR website but now that I’m here it’s like Gemma land (sorry I’m 13, I think like a 13 year old) I am a big fan of everything u make I try almost everything u make, but I do have a bucket list for things that I need to make from ur channel and I need to take off the cookie dough frosting brownie cake , and that super Devine trifle with salted caramel. Can I just say u r a phenomenal person. And truly u r an inspiration to me. BTW love this recipe tooooo much. And gonna make it soon. ???☺️?
Thanks so much. Really glad you like my recipes. Stay tuned for more 🙂
Hi Gemma, I have Vanilla yoghurt in the fridge, would I be able to use that instead of the Greek yoghurt? And if so would I still need to put in the vanilla?
Looks superb by the way!
you sure can. No problem. Maybe add a tiny bit of vanilla to punch up the flavor. Good luck with it 🙂
This Recipe sounds very tasty and delightful! But I do not have all the ingredients, and when I looked in a grocery store I couldn’t find a mug that’s cool proof. Do you have a link of where you bought your mugs? That would be great.
You can find just about anything on amazon.com. Check that site out. Hope this helps 🙂
I will try the recipe and I tried your no mashine ice cream and it was soooo decious.
Delighted to hear that. Let me know how your fro-yo turns out 🙂
hi is there an alternative for the cream cheese since its difficult to find good quality ones where i live…?
Sorry Anishka. You will need cream cheese for this recipe. Thanks so much for visiting my website 🙂
You might want to change the statement about dairy free subs. If cream cheese isn’t optional, it can’t be dairy free. BTW, I love your other ideas. My daughter is allergic to egg, dairy, soy, & nuts, so I’m always on the hunt for delicious allergy friendly recipes.
Hi Meryl,
Yes, you are right, if the recipe requires cream cheese it will not be dairy free. I will check the recipes to correct this, thank you for letting me know. I understand that this is a big challenge for people who have various allergies, I will trey to pay more attention to nutritional requirements in the coming year,
Gemma 🙂
I have not tried it in this recipe, but my brother has a dairy allergy and I’ve made cheesecake with a dairy free cream cheese. There’s a Mariano’s grocery store in my town that had it.
Hi Bryanna,
I am impressed with the number of people who like to prepare food for their siblings, well done you. It is hard to have any food allergy, and dairy is everywhere. I am hoping to develop more recipes this year that are suitable for vegans, who do not use dairy either.
Thank you for being in touch,
Gemma 🙂
how much cream cheese?
Hi Lily,
Here is the recipe:
1 cup (8oz/225g) plain yogurt (greek, non-fat or full fat)
8 oz cream cheese
3 Tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 Tablespoons sprinkles
gemma 🙂
The yummiest ever!
Thanks so much, Mae. Really glad you liked this recipe 🙂
So lovely thanks???☺️?
This is so good! Please make more of these!
Hi Gloria,
Thank you for the kind words, I will be adding to these this year,
Gemma 🙂